May Specimen of the month: volunteer reflections on Fulham Palace
May’s Specimen of the Month is a little different in light of lockdown. Our sense of the normal is constantly being readjusted and questioned. Today’s blogs, therefore, are written by two of our volunteers as they reflect on the Palace from the new perspective.
Many thanks to Julie Mills (front of house volunteer) and Jamie Atwell (garden volunteer) for kindly writing these pieces.
Peering through the Railings
Julie Mills
Such strange times we are living through at the moment, unimaginable just a few weeks ago. Socially and geographically distanced, only having contact with others online ....... a few weeks ago I was volunteering regularly at Fulham Palace, on Front of House or helping with a school session. Now, of course, the Palace is closed and, like the rest of you, I can’t go in.
I miss it dreadfully, the museum, the education centre, the café. Most of all though, I miss the garden, especially at this time of year. Spring has always been my favourite season, and Spring at the Palace is particularly beautiful and life-affirming, as the trees turn green, the flowers slowly emerge and we are suddenly treated to blasts of colour and the signs of new growth.
Now, in this different world, my daily walk takes me along the river and often through Bishops Park. That’s when I find myself peering through the railings at the garden I miss so much, like a small child with her nose pressed up against the window of the sweet shop. How I wish I could be in there - showing visitors the way to the walled garden, suggesting to children that they play in the natural play area rather than climb the precious trees, bringing my friends to visit “my” garden, seeing Edmond lying in the sun or simply sitting on a bench in my lunch break listening to the birdsong.
Through the railings, as the weeks begin to pass, I’ve seen the swathes of narcissi and the new blue bulbs next to the churchyard give way to the apple blossom just visible in the walled garden. Now, the wisteria on the cafe wall has burst into bloom again and it really is a sight to behold. It would be lovely to get closer and smell it too, but for now I have to be content with my distant view. It’s comforting to know that Lucy and her team are still taking care of the garden, and knowing that it will still be there when we can come back. At least I now have a little part of the garden on my balcony in the form of tomato plants (£6 for 4 from the online shop, what a bargain!) and I will make sure I take good care of them.
It will be so lovely when we’re all able to go back to the Palace, and walk in the garden again. Let’s hope we all stay safe and well until that’s possible. Until then I’ll keep my distance, wash my hands, talk to my friends via my laptop and keep peering through the railings.
Musings and Missings of a Garden Volunteer
Jamie Atwell
Like all the garden volunteers at Fulham Palace, I am currently suffering badly from withdrawal symptoms. However, ‘lockdown’ (or training to be a hermit as I like to think of it) does give the opportunity to reflect on what makes garden volunteering at Fulham Palace such a pleasure and a privilege. Here are some of the results of my musings:-
The People
You could not hope to meet a better group of people, whether that be Head Gardener Lucy Hart and her full time team (who are still nobly beavering away) or my fellow volunteers. From the day I first signed up as a volunteer, I was made to feel welcome and immediately felt part of the group. The very first blog I wrote for the Volunteers’ Website advised new starters to invest in a set of earplugs if they didn’t want to be deafened by the laughter. That holds true today, as much as it did five years ago.
Edmund
Beyond cavil, the star of Fulham Palace. Our resident Head of Pest Control is hugely popular with both the general public and us volunteers. It is noteworthy that any photos of Edmund on social media attract more ‘hits’ than any other subject. My only slight, very slight, criticism would be that he does not catch many mice – rather he seems to invite them to tea parties. Has his new found fame gone to his head ?
The Compton Beds
These are located to the south and east of the Walled Garden and are home to a number of plants from overseas that Bishop Compton (Bishop of London 1675 – 1713) was either the first, or one of the first, to propagate. We know that he was responsible for the very first Magnolia virginia to be grown in Europe – there is a wonderful specimen in the beds now. As well as my gardening role, I was lucky enough to play a minor, extremely minor, role in assisting Head Gardener Lucy Hart and Dr Mark Spencer with some research into this wonderful project – to see this through from a blank sheet of paper to today’s final results could not have been more rewarding.
The Wisteria
There are two specimens – one in the Walled Garden and one against the south wall of the Palace itself. Having seen apprentice Hattie Moore’s blog of 27th April and other photos on social media, it is clear that both look absolutely stunning at present. Whilst it is disappointing not to be able to see the Wisteria ‘up close and personal’ there is some consolation in reflecting on the work the whole garden team put in at the beginning of the year in pruning both specimens to ensure that they are looking so glorious now.
Brains Trust
I am quite shameless about picking the brains of the full time team about tips and tricks I could usefully make use of in my own garden. Their response has always been helpful and informative, and with no sign of being spoken through gritted teeth! As and when the Garden re-opens, don’t be shy about raising your own queries with them (remembering, of course, social distancing). The full time team can be identified by their purple tops.
Job Satisfaction
No two days gardening at Fulham Palace are ever the same for us volunteers. From the beginning of the New Year until lockdown we were involved in a wide variety of tasks – pruning the yew hedge between the Palace and the allotments, seed planting, pricking out, edging the paths, weeding and ‘deep cleaning’ the Vinery to name but a few. Whatever our commissions for the day might have been , there has always been a sense of achievement in playing a tiny part in maintaining the wonderful garden at Fulham Palace – long, long may it flourish!